Dr Gallagher, from Cambridgeshire Educational Psychology Service, will today present his findings at the Division of Educational and Child Psychology annual conference at the Hilton Hotel, Gateshead.

There have been increasing concerns amongst educational psychologists about rising levels of cyber-bullying in schools and in 2008 the government commissioned the Byron Review: Safer Children in a Digital World.

Dr Gallagher's research surveyed 239 adolescents in a secondary school and their parents.

Students were asked about their involvement and experiences of cyber-bullying and their perceptions of their peers' involvement.

Parents were asked about their awareness of their children's involvement with cyber-bullying.

The results showed a strong correlation between pupils who rated themselves as victims also seeing themselves as cyber-bullies.

Gender difference: Girls are more likely to use technology to bully people, with boys sticking to more traditional methods

Dr Gallagher said: 'The anonymous nature of cyber-bullying provides victims the motivation and opportunity to retaliate via the same method.

'Previous research has shown that victims of traditional bullying can end up being bullies themselves and this behaviour seems to have transcended into the electronic world.'

'A major practical step to address cyber-bullying would be to increase awareness among adults.

'Many parents at the moment didn't grow up with the same technology and are not as savvy of the potential of mobile phones and the internet, to the same extent as their children.

'Schools also need to take a more proactive role and develop guidelines specific to the problem rather than relying on traditional bullying policies.

'However, as cyber-bullying frequently happens outside school it is more difficult for schools to deal with issues which are perceived to occur outside the school grounds.

'To address the issue a key element would be the recognition that prevention and intervention efforts should be a joint endeavour among schools, families and the community.'

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Cyber-bullying victims are more likely to pick on other people using technology... particularly if they are girls